Order of Play

See below

Tournament Instructions for GC Inter Counties Championship 2018

General Introduction

Normally this data is displayed on the CA web site but in view of the delays in finalising the entry, it is being circulated to all Organisers as a document that will be displayed on the CA site shortly. This year for the first time we are converting to a two division format to allow a large increase in the number of entrants and the arrangements described below have catered for seventeen teams. The first division will play at Southwick over the weekend of 18/19 August and will involve eleven teams. The second division will play at Compton during the same weekend and will involve a further six teams.

The Tournament committee would like to stress the importance of maintaining a full six teams for the second division as they believe it vitally important to ensure a good and enjoyable outcome for the second division event this year as it is critical to the future development of the new two divisional format.

The GC TC would also like to apologise to all teams for the delay in finalising the details for this event but we have been unable to proceed until the full entry was known.

Division One Format

This will start with an all play all arrangement but as there is an odd number of teams it will require each team to have a bye round This will produce eleven rounds. On completion of these rounds, the teams will be ranked in performance order. First by match wins and then by net games won. If there is still a tie, who beats who will be used if possible. The main purpose of this ranking is to allow teams to be grouped in four groups of two with the bottom three as a group.

Each group of two will then play each other twice with the doubles and singles roles being reversed between the two rounds. Places will then be decided on the number of match wins overall. As each match of three games must have a winner, then the best of three matches must also produce a winner with no fear of a tie. Under this arrangement, the first and second placing can only come from the top pair after the initial ranking.

The bottom three will play an all play all. By splitting the individual games of a match across two rounds, it is feasible to play an all play all with three teams with no byes required.

Division Two Format

This will be an all play all twice format with the second game between pairs being played after all first meets are completed. No player may play both doubles or both singles in the match between two specific opponents but the Captain may substitute a player in the second meeting of two teams. On completion of the two rounds, the teams will be ranked in performance order. Firstly on number of match wins and then on net games. The aim of this ranking will be to split the entry into three groups of two. Each pair will then play each other for a third time which will remove any possibility of a tie. No restrictions will be placed on the team selection for this final round.

The Entrants

Division One

Division Two

County

Code

County

Code

Dorset

A

Berkshire

A

Durham/Yorkshire

B

CA Select

B

Hampshire

C

Glamorgan

C

Hertfordshire

D

Oxfordshire

D

Kent

E

Surrey

E

Leicestershire

F

Worcestershire

F

Middlesex

G

Northamptonshire

H

Nottinghamshire

I

Somerset

J

Sussex

K

The following supplementary code will be allocated after completion of the all play all rounds and the teams have been ranked in performance order

Division One : Codes M through W for places one to eleven

Division Two : Codes U through Z for places one to six

Playing Schedule for Division One

Time

Lawns

1

2

4

5

3

6

7

8

9

10

11`

BYE

Saturday Rounds

9.30

1

AK

ak

CE

ce

DF

df

GI

gi

HJ

hj

*

B

10.40

2

EI

ei

GK

gk

BJ

bj

AF

af

CH

ch

*

D

11.50

3

CK

ck

DH

dh

AI

ai

BF

bf

EJ

ej

*

G

2.00

4

AH

ah

FK

fk

BG

bg

CJ

cj

DI

di

*

E

3.10

5

DJ

dj

BH

bh

CI

ci

EK

ek

AG

ag

*

F

4.20

6

FJ

fj

BI

bi

AE

ae

DK

dk

CG

cg

*

H

5.30

7

BK

bk

AJ

aj

DG

dg

EH

eh

FI

fi

*

C

Sunday Rounds

9.30

8

CF

cf

GJ

gj

HK

hk

AD

ad

BE

be

*

I

10.40

9

FG

fg

DE

de

JK

jk

HI

hi

BC

bc

*

A

11.50

10

EG

eg

AC

ac

BD

bd

FH

fh

IK

ik

*

J

2.00

11

GH

gh

CD

cd

EF

ef

IJ

ij

AB

ab

*

K

3.10

S!

MN

mn

OP

op

QR

qr

ST

st

W2V2

u1v1

u2w1

*

4.20

S2

MN

mn

OP

op

QR

qr

ST

st

V1W1

U1V2

u2w2

*

Upper case denotes one doubles; lower case two singles matches

Playing Schedule for Division Two

Lawns

Time

1

2

3

4

5

Bye

Saturday Games

Prelim

9.30

AB

bd

CE

af

DF

1

10.40

DE

de

CF

cf

ab

AB

2

11.50

EF

ac

BD

ef

AC

bd

3

2.00

AD

bf

BF

ad

ce

CE

4

3.10

BC

bc

AE

ae

df

DF

5

4.20

AF

cd

BE

be

CD

af

Prelim

5.30

AB

bd

CE

af

DF

Sunday Games

6

9.30

DE

de

CF

cf

ab

AB

7

10.40

EF

ac

BD

ef

AC

bd

8

11.50

AD

bf

BF

ad

ce

CE

9

2.00

BC

bc

AE

ae

df

DF

10

3.10

AF

cd

BE

be

CD

af

S1

4.20

UV

uv

WX

wx

See Note

Note. The format of final game between teams Y and Z is to be agreed with the two Captains to decide the bottom two placings. Only one lawn will be available.

Specific Requirements for Team Selection for each Round

There has been a requirement for many years that each player should approximately balance the number of doubles and singles match that he plays and this arrangement will be continued

The overall requirement allows any county to register up to a maximum of eight players and a fully completed team entry format must be provided by each Captain before the start of play. It must contain all player's latest handicap.

In division one the Captain may select any of his team members play in each round but the total of singles and doubles played for each and every player must balance to within one for the single and doubles played in all the all play all rounds. The Captain may change his pairings for the two supplementary rounds but no player may play either two singles or two doubles. Players may be substituted in these two rounds

In the two all play all rounds in the second division, the requirement for balancing singles and doubles totals to within one will still apply but in addition no player may play both singles or both doubles against the same county. Choice of players in the supplementary round is entirely at the Captains discretion.

Specific Requirements for Play

Before each round the Captain is required to provide his opposite number a written slip giving the names of players they intend to use for that round. This must show all players handicaps

Each game will be subject to a 60 minute time limit and players must make their own arrangements for timing. When the time expires, the normal eight shots will be taken . If the score is not equal after the eight shots, then the present score will be taken as the result and the game will stop immediately. If the scores are not equal, play will continue until a golden hoop is scored.

It is considered that most games will be completed within the hour but a limit is considered essential to prevent the vast majority of players having to wait for the next round to start. This is a weekend event and there is not sufficient time to allow schedules to slip to any great extent. If play is still in progress when the next game is due to start, the Manager reserves the right to suspend a game for later completion. Failure to start a clock may result in a limit being imposed by the Manager and based on the scheduled starting time

The player with the lowest handicap must play as player one in all pairs of singles games.

The winning Captain is responsible for notifying the scores immediately after completion of the game in the manner explained during the initial briefing.

Pegs will be provided for indicating the score and their use by both sides is a mandatory requirement.

The first team to place a ball at the next hoop shall have priority at that hoop unless mutually agreed otherwise.

The scores in all singles games will be used for ranking purposes. However this requires all teams to complete the individual score card for the event and hand it to the Manager by the end of the tournament. Captains are requested to keep this card up to date during the event. Requests to return scores after return home from the event are not acceptable.

An electronic package of pre-printed forms for team member registration, player selection for each round and result recording will be provided prior to the event and Captains are asked to supply their own hard copies.

All qualified referees are regarded as referees for the tournament.

Tournament Managers

Bill Arliss is the Tournament Director and will manage the event at Southwick. Ivor Brand has offered to manage on the day at Compton. All enquiries prior to the event should be addressed to the Director.

Catering

It is a specific requirement that all lunches must be pre-booked and are unlikely to be available without booking.

Even if you do not require lunches, a negative report to the caterers would help to establish final numbers and remove the need for chasing.

Future Developments

We cannot estimate the numbers that will enter in future years but hope that a successful staging of two divisions this year will promote further new entries. Whatever the number, providing it is sufficient to populate two divisions, i.e. 16, then the top two of division two will be guaranteed promotion to division one in the following year. If there are no new entries then, two teams will be demoted from division one to maintain a minimum of six in division two. However should further new entries come forward these will all start in division two and the number of demoted teams will decrease accordingly to maintain division one at its maximum of twelve.

Should a CA Select team have to be appointed in division two to replace a late withdrawal, this team would be disregarded when considering promotions.

Bill Arliss

Tournament Director

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